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Build Reactions. Simply and Powerfully.

Laravel Reaction is a modern, flexible package that allows your Eloquent models to handle reaction functionality (like, dislike, love, etc.). It provides a clean API for both reactable models (e.g., articles, posts) and reactor models (e.g., users, devices), making it easy to implement social interaction features in your Laravel applications.

Why Laravel Reaction?​

Simple API​

Laravel Reaction provides a clean, intuitive API for managing reactions. Add, remove, toggle, and query reactions with simple method calls—no complex queries or manual relationship management.

Flexible Reaction Types​

Support any reaction type you need: like, dislike, love, heart, thumbs up, and more. The package doesn't limit you to predefined reaction types—use whatever makes sense for your application.

Anonymous Reactions​

Support both authenticated user reactions and anonymous device-based reactions. Perfect for applications where users can react without logging in, or where you need to track reactions by device.

Polymorphic Relationships​

Use reactions on any Eloquent model through polymorphic relationships. Articles, posts, comments, products—anything can be reactable, and any model can be a reactor.

Event System​

Built-in events for reaction lifecycle: ReactionAddEvent, ReactionRemovingEvent, and ReactionRemovedEvent. Integrate with notification systems, analytics, or any custom logic.

Soft Deletes & Pruning​

Reactions use soft deletes, allowing you to restore deleted reactions. Automatic pruning support helps keep your database clean by removing old soft-deleted reactions.

Rich Querying​

Query reactions by type, reactor, reactable, device, and more. Get reaction summaries, counts, and lists with simple method calls.

What is Reaction Management?​

Reaction management is the process of allowing users or devices to express their feelings or opinions about content through reactions. Traditional approaches often involve:

  • Creating separate tables for each reaction type (likes, dislikes, etc.)
  • Writing complex queries to check reaction status
  • Managing reaction state manually
  • Duplicating code across different models

Laravel Reaction solves these challenges by providing:

  • Unified System: Single table for all reaction types
  • Polymorphic Design: Works with any model
  • Simple API: Clean methods for all operations
  • Event Integration: Built-in events for extensibility
  • Query Helpers: Easy methods for common queries

Key Features​

HasReaction Trait​

Add to models that can receive reactions (articles, posts, comments, etc.). Provides methods to add, remove, toggle, and query reactions.

CanReact Trait​

Add to models that can give reactions (users, devices, etc.). Provides methods to check reaction status, get reaction history, and manage reactions given.

Reaction Model​

The Eloquent model that stores all reactions. Supports soft deletes, automatic pruning, and polymorphic relationships.

Events​

Three events for reaction lifecycle:

  • ReactionAddEvent: When a reaction is added
  • ReactionRemovingEvent: Before a reaction is removed
  • ReactionRemovedEvent: After a reaction is removed

Anonymous Support​

Track reactions by device ID for anonymous users, perfect for public-facing content where users don't need to log in.

Quick Example​

Here's a quick example of how easy it is to use reactions:

use JobMetric\Reaction\HasReaction;
use JobMetric\Reaction\CanReact;

// Article model (can receive reactions)
class Article extends Model
{
    use HasReaction;
}

// User model (can give reactions)
class User extends Model
{
    use CanReact;
}

// Usage
$article = Article::find(1);
$user = User::find(1);

// Add a like reaction
$article->addReaction('like', $user);

// Check if user liked the article
$article->hasReaction('like', $user);

// Get reaction count
$article->countReactions('like');

// Toggle reaction
$article->toggleReaction('like', $user);

What Awaits You?​

In this documentation, you'll learn:

  • Installation: How to install and configure the package
  • Basic Usage: Adding reactions to your models
  • HasReaction Trait: Complete API for reactable models
  • CanReact Trait: Complete API for reactor models
  • Reaction Model: Understanding the reaction data structure
  • Events: Working with reaction events
  • Advanced Usage: Complex scenarios and best practices

Ready to get started? Let's install the package and begin adding reactions to your application!